ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic R4

Ryan Fox started the day three shots off the lead and carded a bogey-free 66 to reach 15-under and join a playoff for the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic title.

Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes who had led or co-led afer the first two rounds, made two bogeys and closed with a 67 to join the playoff as did American Harry Higgs who made two bogeys and closed with a 68.

Fox defeated Hughes and Higgs with a birdie-3 on the first playoff hole at the 18th.

“A playoff is probably a little different mindset. A bit more like match-play. Obviously I knew the two guys had pretty good birdie chances. I just wanted to give the chip a run at it,” said Fox.

“I had a really similar line in regulation and missed the putt right. My caddie, Dean, said to me, Remember, this doesn’t break that much. So I just kind of aimed straight at it, and I hit the spot I wanted to hit, which is always a nice thing. About 8 foot out. To be honest, it never looked like it was going anywhere else, and the rest of it is a bit of a blur from there.”

With 24 birdies for the week, Fox tied Harry Higgs for most in the field.

Fox earned his first PGA Tour title in his 68th start at the age of 38 years, 3 months, 20 days. He is the oldest winner on since Patton Kizzire (2024 Procore Championship/38 years, 6 months, 12 days).

“I haven’t transitioned probably as well as I would have liked over to the PGA Tour [from the DP World Tour where he won four times]. It was a tough year last year. I managed to just keep my card. It’s been a scratchy start this year as well.

“I always deep down felt like I could compete with the guys out here. Just haven’t been able to put it together. I was very happy to do it this week and give myself a chance on Sunday was nice again. I’ve been in that position a bunch of times over on DP. It’s an uncomfortable feeling, but it’s also a good feeling. You know that’s where you want to be.

“I’ve had some pretty good shots down the stretch over in Europe. It was nice to do the same thing here. Regardless if I would have come out with a win or not today, I was really happy with how I played, and I could have taken a lot out of it. To get that win is extra special.”

Fox becomes the ninth winner from New Zealand and first since Danny Lee at the 2015 Greenbrier Classic.

With this win, he qalifies for next week’s PGA Championship which will be his 23rd major championship appearance.

Hughes recorded the fifth runner-up finish of his career while Higgs, in his first playoff appearance on Tour, earned a third runner-up finish in his 134th start.

The ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic marked the first of two events where players can qualify for the next Signature Event, the Memorial Tournament, via the Aon Swing 5. The five players (not exempt via the Aon Next 10 or a higher category) who earned the most FedExCup points in the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and the Charles Schwab Challenge, qualified for the Memorial Tournament: Ryan Fox, Harry Higgs, Mackenzie Hughes, Kevin Yu, Niklas Norgaard, Alex Smalley.